Ezra 8

1 These are the leaders of their ancestors' families who left Babylon with me during the reign of King Artaxerxes.

And these [are] the heads of their families, the leaders that went up with me in the reign of Arthasastha the king of Babylon.

2 Of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the descendants of David, Hattush,

Of the sons of Phinees; Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Attus.

3 who was of the descendants of Shecaniah, who was from the descendants of Parosh; and Zechariah, and with him there were 150 males listed in the record of his genealogy.

Of the sons of Sachania, and the sons of Phoros; Zacharias: and with him a company [of] a hundred and fifty.

4 Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and with him were two hundred males.

Of the sons of Phaath-Moab; Eliana the son of Saraia, and with him two hundred that were males.

5 Of the descendants of Zattu, Ben Jahaziel and with him were three hundred males.

And of the sons of Zathoes; Sechenias the son of Aziel, and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan and with him were listed fifty males.

And of the sons of Adin; Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

7 Of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and with him were listed seventy males.

And of the sons of Elam; Isaeas the son of Athelia, and with him seventy males.

8 Of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael and with him were listed eighty males.

And of the sons of Saphatia; Zabadias the son of Michael, and with him eighty males.

9 Of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel and with him were listed 218 males.

And of the sons of Joab; Abadia the son of Jeiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10 Of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah and with him were listed 160 males.

And of the sons of Baani; Selimuth the son of Josephia, and with him a hundred and sixty males.

11 Of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai and with him were listed twenty-eight males.

And of the sons of Babi; Zacharias the son of Babi, and with him twenty-eight males.

12 Of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan and with him were listed 110 males.

And of the sons of Asgad; Joanan the son of Accatan, and with him a hundred and ten males.

13 Those of the descendants of Adonikam came later. These were their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah and with them came sixty males.

And of the sons of Adonicam [were the] last, and these [were] their names, Eliphalat, Jeel, and Samaea, and with them sixty males.

14 Of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur and with him were listed seventy males.

And of the sons of Baguae, Uthai, and Zabud, and with him seventy males.

15 I gathered the travelers at the canal that goes to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I examined the people and priests, but could not find any descendants of Levi there.

And I gathered them to the river that comes to Evi, and we encamped there three days: and I reviewed the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.

16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, and Elnathan and Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam—who were leaders—and for Joiarib and Elnathan—who were teachers.

And I sent men of understanding to Eleazar, to Ariel, to Semeias, and to Alonam, and to Jarib, and to Elnatham, and to Nathan, and to Zacharias, and to Mesollam, and to Joarim, and to Elnathan.

17 Next I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, the temple servants living in Kasiphia, that is, to send to us servants for the house of God.

And I forwarded them to the rulers with the money of the place, and I put words in their mouth to speak to their brethren the Athinim with the money of the place, that they should bring us singers for the house of our God.

18 So they sent us by our God's good hand a man named Sherebiah, a prudent man. He was a descendant of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel. He came with eighteen sons and brothers.

And they came to us, as the good hand of our God was upon us, even a man of understanding of the sons of Mooli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and at the commencement came his sons and his brethren, eighteen.

19 With him came Hashabiah. There also were Jeshaiah, one of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men in all.

And Asebia, and Isaia of the sons of Merari, his brethren and his sons, twenty.

20 Of those assigned to serve in the temple, whom David and his officials gave to serve the Levites: 220, each of them assigned by name.

And of the Nathinim; whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites [there were] two hundred and twenty Nathinim; all were gathered by [their] names.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast at the Ahava Canal to humble ourselves before God, to seek a straight path from him for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

And I proclaimed there a fast, at the river Aue, that [we] should humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our children, and for all our property.

22 I was ashamed to ask the king for an army or horsemen to protect us against enemies along the way, since we had said to the king, 'The hand of our God is on all who seek him for good, but his might and wrath are on all who forget him.'

For I was ashamed to ask of the king a guard and horsemen to save us from the enemy in the way: for we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God [is] upon all that seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath [are] upon all that forsake him.

23 So we fasted and sought God about this, and we pled to him.

So we fasted, and asked of our God concerning this; and he hearkened to us.

24 Next I selected twelve men from the priestly officials: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers.

And I gave charge to twelve of the chiefs of the priests, to Saraia, to Asabia, and ten of their brethren with them.

25 I weighed out for them silver, gold, and the objects and offerings for the house of God that the king, his counselors and officials, and all Israel had freely offered.

And I weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of the first-fruits of the house of our God, which the king, and his councillors, and his princes, and all Israel that were found, had dedicated.

26 So I weighed into their hand 650 talents of silver, one hundred talents of silver objects, one hundred talents of gold,

I even weighed into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred silver vessels, and a hundred talents of gold;

27 twenty gold bowls that were together valued at one thousand darics, and two well-polished bronze vessels as precious as gold.

and twenty golden bowls, [weighing] about a thousand drachms, and superior vessels of fine shining brass, [precious] as gold.

28 Then I said to them, “You are consecrated to Yahweh, and these objects also, and the silver and gold are a freewill offering to Yahweh, the God of your ancestors.

And I said to them, Ye [are] holy to the Lord; and the vessels [are] holy; and the silver and the gold are freewill-offerings to the Lord God of our fathers.

29 Watch over them and keep them until you weigh them out before the priestly officials, Levites, and leaders of the ancestors' clans of Israel in Jerusalem in the rooms of God's house.”

Be watchful and keep them, until ye weigh [them] before the chief priests and the Levites, and the chiefs of families in Jerusalem, at the chambers of the house of the Lord.

30 The priests and the Levites accepted the weighed silver, gold, and the objects in order to take them to Jerusalem, to our God's house.

So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem into the house of our God.

31 We went out from the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us; he protected us from the hand of the enemy and the ones who wished to ambush us along the road.

And we departed from the river of Aue on the twelfth day of the first month, to come to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy and adversary in the way.

32 So we entered Jerusalem and stayed there for three days.

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

33 Then on the fourth day the silver, gold, and objects were weighed out in our God's house into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, and with him were Eleazar son of Phinehas, Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui the Levite.

And it came to pass on the fourth day that we weighed the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, in the house of our God, into the hand of Merimoth the son of Uria the priest; and with him [was] Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them Jozabad the son of Jesus, and Noadia the son of Banaia, the Levites.

34 The number and weight of everything was determined. All the weight was written down at that time.

All things [were reckoned] by number and weight, and the whole weight was written [down].

35 The ones who came back from the captivity, the people of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All were a burnt offering for Yahweh.

At that time the children of the banishment that came from the captivity offered whole-burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve goats for a sin-offering; all whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord.

36 Then they gave the king's decrees to the king's high officials and the governors in the Province Beyond the River, and they helped the people and the house of God.

And they gave the king's mandate to the king's lieutenants, and the governors beyond the river: and they honoured the people and the house of God.